2014 was an odd year. On warmer days in the highlands, the neighbor’s children screamed incessantly at nothing at all. We made an attempt at finding a starter home only to discover that the down payment (with both of us paying off student loans, and one of us with a new-ish car) is a laughable sum of money that neither of us have. Weeks wasted looking for a rental house that wasn’t situated in murder/crime town. Smiled for the in-laws. Wine. Less than usual, thanks to pain medication meant for people with arthritis, issued at the last minute by a doctor more than likely trying to get me out of his office for the 6th time that year.

And then the letter. Fucking Edward Rhawn. “Dear all tenants of the house – your leases are up at the end of the month. Finally decided to renovate. During Christmas. You know, when all of you have plans to see family and friends. You have the legal limit of 30 days to leave - instead of the three months that I promised you before trying to bribe you last year with $1000 if you left early. Sorry - not really, though.” THIS motherfucker. I hope he wakes up with bedbugs, the plague, hemorrhoids, and an itchy spot that can never be relieved, no matter how much he scratches. Thanks for making us spend the holidays packing and fretting about finding a place to live. Happy holidays, fuckface.

So we moved. There is, at least, one major upside to moving to the apartment complex: no one around us has children. I don’t have to wake up to kids screaming outside my window anymore. It is blissfully silent. That makes me ridiculously happy. (Edited a few days after moving in) Short-lived. Upstairs neighbor has the loudest toddler in all history who literally screams next to the air vents, trickling down to our apartment. That kid jumped up and down so hard she knocked the fucking lamp out of the ceiling. I’m going to snap.

Recently? Two weeks ago, we also got in a car wreck. Old lady hits the hubs and I on our way to sushi. After nursing whiplash and bruises, off to the doctor again. Need x-rays and a neck-brace, apparently.

Falling down stairs, car wrecks, nasty colds, stomach viruses - whatever supernatural, all-seeing ethereal motherfucker is trying to break me down better recognize. You will NOT kill me this year. I got shit to do, so knock it off, brother.

My apologies to anyone that has been trying to get a hold of me. It has, obviously, been a very busy couple of months.

At least there's snow on the ground!

--THANKS SATAN, THAT WAS A CLOSE ONE--

BECAUSE IT'S SNOWING YAAAY

*rolls in the now *
*probably catches cold*
*dies*
*doesn't care and becomes a wicked rad skeleton with a fancy scarf*



--LONG LIVE THE ICE AND THE COLD--

White friend: *says something along the line of “it’s okay to be racist,” “I love racism, it’s so funny” “but if only people of color would just __,” “I’m not racist, BUT,” a racist joke, something about how they can say whatever racist shit they want to because “muh freedom of speech," or something actually fairly offensive to someone who isn't white*

Me: *narrows eyes*

White friend: OH BUT MUR I WOULD NEVER SAY ANYTHING LIKE THAT TO YOU YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU

...

This sums up my life for the last couple of months.

I don't care if you don't think it's scary in any way, shape or form. I don't care if the only thing that scares you is real-life, in-front-of-you danger. I don't care if nothing scares you.

Five Nights at Freddy's scared the fucking bejeebus outta me.

After seeing all the content from the game, one of the scariest things about it is actually the creator. This guy went from making badly-animated Christian games/shows to a game where ANIMATRONIC ANIMALS WANT TO KILL YOU AND STUFF YOU IN WHAT IS BASICALLY A HUMAN CHEESE GRATER.

*shudders* I'm sleeping with the lights on forever.

Speaking of scary things, here's my Halloween idea. Be me, husband, whoever else wants to join. Everyone wears one of those cheap-o skeleton costumes. We get a small boom-box, and blast techno remixes of "Spooky Scary Skeletons" all Halloween night. Flail at kids, kick over some trash cans, hijack someone's candy, you know, be slightly obnoxious.

For those interested, listen to this song, and promptly submit to me a recording of you busting some bomb-ass skeleton moves.

I turn 30 soon. How am I celebrating my 30th? Why, with a lingerie party, of course. Duh.

Also, I have a theory. I think that Michelle Duggar believes in the Quiverfull movement because she's actually gearing up to smash all her children into one giant monster. You know, to take over America.

Like a modern and more boring Christian version of Rita Repulsa.

"IN THE NAME OF GOD, MAKE MY BABIES GROOOWW~" *cue horrifying baby/child amalgation*

Oh my god...a golem made out of babies....I just seriously freaked myself out there for a sec.





--IF MICHELLE DUGGAR IS A SHITTY POWER RANGER VILLIAN, THAT WOULD MAKE MY ENTIRE LIFE--

My husband and I held a picnic in the park for our friends just the other day. We tossed the Frisbee around, played ladder ball and managed to throw one of those impossibly far-flying ring things without getting it permanently stuck in some trees. We all had a pretty good time, despite it being in a sort of closed-in section of the park. At one point, my old roomies showed up with potato salad and watermelon. When they came to the table, my friend’s husband, known for being one of those shock-jock, “I’ll say whatever I want because muh freedoms,” 4chan-frequenting, republican, racist-when-it-really-comes-down-to it /b-tard, sees the watermelon being cut. I wish I could physically cut him from my life, but I HAVE to put up with him – he’s the love of my friend’s life, for some reason. As soon as we pass it around, I see the look on his face: and it looks like he wants to make some stupid joke at my expense, you know, because I’m black and racism is funny, or whatever. So he offers me some watermelon. Now, being a human being that loves all kinds of fruit but is also hyper-aware of his tendency to be an asshole just to get a rise out of people, I decline. Then he fucking places a piece of fried chicken on top of it and says “how about now?” Most people watching laugh weakly, or say “ooohh…that’s bad.” I get so mad I can’t see straight, and walk off for a minute to give my brain the chance to refrain from killing him. He chases me down and fake-apologizes, and I say “fake” because we all know he is a proud white-privileged dick head who KNOWS straight white men have all the power in the world, and flaunts it. Relishes it. Knows that he can get treated better by the general public because he’s a white guy. Is admired by his peers because of his sexy Asian wife. And has no sympathy for others about being jerk.

He catches up, I tell him that he’s a racist piece of shit, he laughs, hugs me, says the good ol’ reliable “You know I’m not really racist, just a joke” fare, and walks over to his wife.
I don’t want to make a stink about it during the picnic. I don’t want to call him out for being dickhead because I want everyone to have a good time. I have to severely sit on my feelings to make everyone feel better. And I’m still seething about it days later.

I have run the gamut on dealing with racism in my lifetime, having been told/asked: “there’s no such thing as black goths,” “black women can’t play videogames,” “I bet rap is your favorite,” “I didn’t think black people listened to classical music,” “oh you’re one of those Oreos,” “I don’t like brown people,” “you don’t sound like black,” “stop acting white,” etc. Hell, I have experienced enough colorism (getting racial hate from other black people who are darker/lighter than me) to last a life time. Being a racist is bad enough, and I can’t tell you how much I HATE the kinds of people that like to pretend to be racist for fun. To get a rise out of people. I’ve been through enough racist bullshit in my life, and I don’t need any more of it. If you are one of those people that has got to be racist for fun, don’t ever talk to me again. I’m tired of taking one for the team and just rolling with somebody’s racist comments. Don’t. Do. It. I'm a minority, ha ha ha, I fucking get it.

“BUT MURPHY, you should tell him how you feel!”

The problem is, me telling him my feelings are hurt because he said that to someone he’s known for a long time would do nothing. He calls his own wife a chink or a buckethead or slanty-eyes. He tells his own wife “lol get in the kitchen and make me a sandwich.” He won’t change his ways, he won’t care he’s hurt my feelings, he’ll think I’m too sensitive, and he won’t care that we all know he acts like a dick. He’s fine with who he is. And as long as he has his cute little wife who puts up with anything he does, has his babies, tolerates his racist jokes and makes him dinner, everything is fine for him. As long as he has a wife and a shit-ton of [future] children, because that is exactly (I’m actually quoting him) “the whole point of being alive,” everything’s great for him. So while I can tell his wife that he needs to be drug out into the street and shot, nothing will matter.

And for anyone who thinks I’m over-reacting? Last time I checked, I don’t think I should have to deal with negative racial stereotypes. I have the right to get pissed off. I have a goddamn right to be offended by /b-tard racist-ass humor when it is thrown into my face.

GOD, I hope he’s barren.



--DON'T MARRY ASSHOLES, EVERYBODY--

There's too much America going on outside.

Everything in the world is lagging today.

Lag lag lag lag lag.

Everyone! Get off of Steam so I can play stuff.


--I GOT HEISTS TO RUN, DAMMIT--

1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you?
Sometimes...but not very often anymore.

2. On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you?
I’m going to say about 3. I’m comfortable in the dark, but well aware of spooky sense of unknown that darkness brings.

3. The person you would never want to meet?
Any older, rich white male with a widely-known racist streak.

4. What is your favorite word?
Pompadour.

5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be?
A gnarled tree from one of those urban legends. That way everyone would more than likely keep away from me. Or maybe some large, sacred oak from the stories - you know, the ones people worship. Either way, I’ll take either being gnarled and creepy or large and revered by everyone.

6. When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought?
“Nope. I still look like a foot.”

7. What shirt are you wearing?
Blank knit tank top and black PJs.

8. What do you label yourself as?
I wear a lot of black and white, black lace, black dresses, etc. Let’s just say I’m an Addams.

9. Bright room or dark room?
Dim. Dimly lit room with LED things in it, like weather monitors, CPU screens, stars,and other light-up stuff.

10. What were you doing at midnight last night?
Trying to fix some game issues on Steam. I wear to god, every game I want to play has bugs.

11. Favorite age you’ve been so far?
25 and 26 were pretty alright.

12. Who told you they loved you last?
My husband.

13. Your worst enemy?
Any racist/sexist/fillintheblank-phobic idiot that tries to justify being a bigot. Anyone that wishes me or anyone I care about harm. That sorta thing.

14. What is your current desktop picture?
A digital painting of a backyard view in Hokkaido.

15. Do you like someone?
I like a lot of people. I like a lot of things, too. An places, don’t forget places. I like nouns.

16. The last song you listened to?
Martina Toply Bird’s “Sandpaper Kisses.”

17. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up?
I would have to think about that. I’m a big fan of culling the herd when it comes to someone who’s obviously not going to change for the better, so anyone in # 13.

18. Who would you really like to just punch in the face?
I got a few people that made some very poor life decisions that need a good throttling. Like Sarge always said, “there’s just not enough time in this busy world to show people the common curtesy of a good strangling.”

19. If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do?
I’d pick a dude who was obviously willing to do it. He’d have to dress up in lady lingerie, serve my husband and I tea and cake, let us braid his hair, take the trash out, feed the cat - nothing fancy.

20. What is your best physical attribute? (showing said attribute is optional)
I don’t have one of those. If I was barren, I would say not being able to have kids would be my best defining attribute. God, I hope I’m barren.

21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do?
I would be a much better-looking dude. Long hair, glasses - yeah buddy. Were I a dude for the day, I would just go outside not wearing a shirt. Because, you know, you can’t exactly do that as a chick without enticing stars/death threats/rape threats.

22. Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it?
Eye lasers. I can make babies cry with just one look. Uh...musical talent. All of the above.

23. What is one unique thing you’re afraid of?
Pregnancy. Tokophobia is a terrifying thing.

24. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal.
Smoked turkey, avocado, multi-grain bread, diced tomato, lettuce, a little bacon, a little mayo, cut into stars. Or fried orphan on cracked wheat with a side of babies’ tears, I dunno, whichever’s easier.

25. You just found $100! How are you going to spend it?
Into the house fund you go. Gotta save up for our spooky little house in the boonies. Damn responsibilities.

26. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go?
Well, my mom is a flight attendant, so technically...I can do that already. However, I can’t fly anymore due to anxiety/panic disorder. So...if someone M-99ed me and threw me on the plane, I’d go back to London or Edinburgh. Can’t really do Japan just yet...I’d have to be close to fluent again. And skinnier. And probably not black, so people wouldn’t stare.

27. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be?
Bailey’s Irish creme, or Kreme - peach-flavored. It would take me a LONG time to go through any of that.

28. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place?
Rule 1: no summer. Absolutely no summer. Nasty thing, that. Heat attracts bugs and teenagers. Rule 2: Everyone must work around the clock to build the rocket thrusters that are going to propel us into the snowy mountains of wherever I feel like at the time. I hate warm weather, and if I’m in charge of an island, we are relocating the island to a colder climate? Wait, I was only supposed to say the first rule? Combine one and two, then.

29. What is your favorite expletive?
“Fuck-fuck-fucking fuckity shit-piss horse pussy.”

30. Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno?
External hard drive.

31. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?
The events that unfolded around my wedding. I’m still really, really regretful about not inviting certain people. I’m sure they hate my guts now.

32. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world!
That doesn’t sound like me at all...but for the sake of argument, Edinborough, Scotland.

33. The Celestial Gates Of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person/etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back?
I’m a little drawn between bringing back Uncle Norman or my grandmother’s grandmother that looks EXACTLY like me. Maybe Chief William Red Eagle Weatherford, my great-great-great grandfather.

34. What was your last dream about?
It was about good weather and relaxing, weirdly enough.

35. Are you a good….[insert anything you’d like here]?
...a good...potato? Yes. Yes I am. A good person? Some things, I am very passionate about. Other things...would probably get me locked up.

36. Have you ever been admitted to the hospital?
Not overnight.

37. Have you ever built a snowman?
Yep.

38. What is the color of your socks?
It’s too hot for socks...and I have SO many cute striped ones. I hate the summer.

39. What type of music do you like?
A lot of things. Some of my favorites are Tom Waits, Devotchka, Gogel Bordello, and Juke Baritone.

40. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?
I like both.

41. What is your favorite milkshake flavor?
The blood of my enemies.

42. What football team do you support? (I will answer in terms of American football as well as soccer)
I DON’T WATCH SPERTS.

43. Do you have any scars?
Out of all the goddamn scars on my body, the ONE scar I wanted to stick around was one of the scars that healed the fastest. I got this bad-ass scar across my face in college, and to my dismay, it healed in a week. Dude, I don’t even care what you think, I looked like one of those hardcore tank characters from an FPS or something.

44. What do you want to be when you graduate?
When I was a kid, I wanted to be a super villain when I graduated. Then I thought, you know, you have to have the resources for that and a large network of minions...so I figured being a novelist would at least be a good cover while I work on the evil overlord part. I am a writer, but not a published one.

45. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I would wish away the chronic pain/anxiety.

46. Are you reliable?
Yep.

47. If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?
“WHERE IS MY FUCKING HOVERBOARD, ASSHOLE.”

48. Do you hold grudges?
Great question. I know a looooot of people who relish holding grudges. Like, people whose lives are practically fueled by holding grudges. Life is too goddamned bloody short to not to forgive people a few things. Unless they, you know, raped/killed someone, or stole from you.

49. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create?
Gary Busey and an angler fish. Busey is already an abomination, so would be double crazy.

50. What is the most unusual conversation you’ve ever had?
...I’m going to say it was when that dude at Anthrocon asked me to stand on his face.

51. Are you a good liar?
I could be if I needed to be.

52. How long could you go without talking?
A loooooong time. I hate the sound of my own voice.

53. What has been your worst haircut/style?
It looks pretty crap right now. I need to do something to it.

54. Have you ever baked your own cake?
Yup.

55. Can you do any accents other than your own?
Man, when I worked in retail, people constantly thought I was from California. Blew their minds when I told them I was from Tennessee.

56. What do you like on your toast?
Butter. What am I, some kind of heathen?

57. What is the last thing you drew a picture of?
Some quick chibi lame-o sketch.

58. What would be you dream car?
A murdered-out 1932 Packard twin six. The same model of car Lurch drives in the Addams Family movie.

59. Do you sing in the shower? Or do anything unusual in the shower? Explain.
Nah, but I sing in the car. Having been in choir for most of my life, I have to sing somewhere. I miss being in a choir sometimes.

60. Do you believe in aliens?
It’s illogical to think that, considering the vast depth of the universe, we don’t have any neighbors.

61. Do you often read your horoscope?
Actually, whenever something goes wrong in my life, my horoscope is amazing accurate.

62. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet?
M is for ME.

63. Which is cooler: dinosaurs or dragons?
...Both...? Dino-dragons?

64. What do you think about babies?
I really wish my in-laws would stop informing me and the husband when another in-law has a baby. You know what’s awkward? Trying to explain that you don’t congratulate people for having babies because WE’VE BEEN DOING IT FOR 200,000 YEARS AND IT’S NOT EXACTLY GROUND-BREAKING.

65. Freebie! Ask anything interesting you can think of.
Don’t tell me what to do! *table-flip*

I know no one reads this journal very often, but feel free to ask me stuff anyways. I won't bite.

No seriously, I'm not biting anyone, I don't know where you guys have been. XD




--I'M BORED ASK ME STUFF--

Advanced Lyme disease. For fucksake, do people still actually get that anymore, or am I just that lucky...? I don't even know if it's from the time I got bitten as a little kid when I lived on the farm.

Well, if they find anything bad when I get the 3-D heart ultrasound, here's hoping I'm not dead by 35. If I AM dead by 35, oh well, what can you do. I don't hold any grudges towards anyone, but they better bury me flippin' the bird anyways.

An infected tick bite is what has been causing me constant head/musculature pain for the last couple of years. I'm sure it bit me during the summer or during some other bullshit warm weather. DOES EVERYONE BELIEVE ME NOW WHEN I SAY HOW MUCH I LIKE WEARING LONG PANTS AND LONG SOCKS?!



I hate nature and it's tendency to infect people with a bunch of bullshit.

--ALL TICKS GO TO HELL--

So a friend of mind tells me about some crazy resort-sized fur convention that is so big it can basically house FC and AC all at once. I forget what it was called, but I might be thinking about going to it next year.

Man, a con as big as TWO major conventions?? That sounds like the bomb. I totally wanna go. Why can't I remember what it's called??

I will admit, I do kind of miss the thrill of random encounters at conventions. I better start looking into renting some short buses in order to get my ass down there.







--ALL ABOUT THE CON TRAIN--WOO WOO--

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP0zRvy6gBw#t=246

Yes, I know, song's getting old and everyone's tired of hearing it, but I do love me a good cosplay video.

I haven't done a very official cosplay before (aside from a quickly-put together Cid Highwind and the occasional Turk from Final Fantasy VII) but one of these days, I hope to change that. I don't know anyone that really does it locally, and I haven't been to a convention in two years, but that I still like to relish the idea of one day making a really decent one. My problem is that I'm sort of a perfectionist in that I want to at least remotely resemble the character...but all my favorite characters are usually slender or enormous white-fleshed males. Or male-like monster things (yes, I know, and I usually end up choosing male characters in games - so sue me). I'm pretty sure the only ones I can pull off well are Integra from Hellsing, and any kind of full-masked characters, like Chaos Space Marines, Yoshimitsu, Q from Street Fighter, or something like that. I am well-aware that the only way I would be able to successfully pull off some of those macho-type cosplays would be to wear stilts, bleach my skin, and get pec implants, but I gotta work with what I have, to a point. Thank the devil for ace bandages, breast binding, and full-cover costumes, though.

In other news, finally getting organized here. New bookshelves means less goddamn boxes on the floor.

In other other news...I don't have a good story-enriched game to play (aside from Mass Effect and Skyrim, which I jump back and forth from) at the moment, and it's making me nuts. I don't always feel like playing those two...and I need another RPG to fall back on. I got my sandbox games, my action types, and my "I've got to kill some time before I do something else" types....

Any suggestions for new RPGs to play?



--MURPH--

http://logandanderson.wordpress.com.....-goddamn-oreo/

Read it. Read it read it read it.

This was my reality in elementary, middle school, high school, college, and beyond. Always "why do you act white?" or "you don't sound black" or "you're not a REAL black person" or "you have hair like a white person kinda, let me touch it!" or everyone's favorite "you're the whitest black girl I know."

Because, you know, all black people sound the same, walk the same, talk the same, listen to the same music, eat the same things, watch the same shows--that old chestnut.

I might have laughed at it when I was younger, but as I got older, I realized how fucked up that was to just...let people do it.

Anyways...

...yeah.







--WIDE RAINBOW OF BLACK PEOPLE, YOU KNOW THAT RIGHT--

http://arstechnica.com/science/2014.....like-plasmids/

The faster I can get my hands on the bee plasmid, the better.

I NEED THE POWER TO FIRE A SWARM OF ANGRY BEES AT PEOPLE.

*after actually reading the article"

WHATEVER I STILL WANT TO FIRE BEES FROM MY HANDS.







--NO GODS OR KINGS. ONLY BEES--

So I ordered a printer/scanner/copier. Finally. FINALLY. Now I might be motivated to actually doodle and draw again. I think the last time I drew something new and put it up here was maybe...2007 or so. Been a lot of BS going on since then.

In other news, in light of a lot of my favorite artists moving over, I made a Weasyl account. So here it is, if you're on there too: https://www.weasyl.com/~tophatriot

I'm not leaving FA because there are still plenty of artists that are staying, and I've only put a few things up there, just a couple of things that don't look like absolute crap. More later, I think. In spite of that Adam Wan drama...well, I won't say much, but if he actually did force himself on those women, then total shame on him. Rape/sexual assault is a serious offense. The fact that he said on his Twitter "don't stick your dick in crazy" just sounds like something a predator would say, honestly.

In other other news, I'm playing a melee/no intelligence character in Fallout New Vegas (named Oogie Boogie), and I'm kind of disappointed in the total lack of "hurr durr my name courier i punch things" moments available. I was told there would be more humor. NOW WHERE IS IT?!




--MY NAME IS OOGIE BOOGIE AND I'M HERE TO THROW SOME BOWS--

I spent a good part of the other day consoling a young lady who was positive she didn't want children. Apparently, her folks and surrounding family members think she's Satan incarnate, and needs serious counseling. Basically, the close family is telling her she will be a useless human being if she doesn't procreate. The others think she's young and stupid and will eventually change her mind. Yes, she's 21, but that doesn't always mean it's a flighty decision.

I know everyone says "you'll change" about anything you decide on when your young. Because...you're young. And stupid. And you make bad decisions based on impulse, hormones, and whatever cute piece of ass you want to impress. But a serious decision like not wanting kids usually warrants an eye-roll from most people, especially if you are young. Hell, you get eye-rolls regardless of age nowadays.

As an avid supporter of this decision, it breaks my heart when a life choice like this gets put down by people who are supposed to support you. It absolutely kills me when people think you are a lesser human because you don't want kids, like you just...don't matter unless you become a parent. Your hopes and dreams are bullshit unless you reproduce, apparently. I have been telling my family since I was 16 years old that I never want to get pregnant. It scares me to the point of nightmares, and makes me queasy just thinking about it. Now I'm 29, and most accept it. Every now and then, I do get the "HOW SELFISH OF YOU Y U NO KIDS YOU WOULD MAKE A GREAT MOTHER HOW WILL YOU EVER LIVE WITH YOURSELF" questions from others, but overall, it's kind of nice to be able to say "From age 16, I didn't want kids. Still don't. Not so much of a phase NOW, is it? Now stop bugging me."

Overall: you want kids, have 'em. You don't want kids, don't have 'em. Just don't berate people for their choices, whether they match yours or not.



--ALL ABOARD THE OUTCAST TRAIN; CHOO CHOO, MOTHERFUCKER--

End of the Year Meme

1. What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?
Got married, probably ruined a few friendships, moved in with my significant other, took the cat to a regular check-up....


2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
My number one resolution is always "drive a flaming truck through a wall of ice cream." I have yet to do this. As for the more realistic ones, well, the ones about trying to calm down didn't exactly work out.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Alpha, husband's cousin, my cousin...that's about it. Most people I know don't want kids.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Grandfather did. Technically last year, though.

5. What countries did you visit?
None.

6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?
More silly get-togethers at our place--like tea parties, pajama movie nights, cartoon pancake parties, that sorta thing. More tea in general. And a house.

7. What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
October 25, which was our wedding day, and exactly three days after that...which was the day that made me reconsider my mental health from having a social-related accident at work.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Not dieing. Being there for family. Uh...not completely losing my shit.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Being lazy. Being so anxiety-ridden that it affected my health.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yes.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A new pair of black pants, and my black wedding dress.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? (In no particular order)
My husband's, for putting up with me all the time.
Lydia's, for always being there to listen and for standing up for me.


13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Several people.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Doctor's bills, rent, utilities, wedding shit, tea.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Honeymoon. Being able to lounge around the apartment and do nothing. Saturdays with nothing to do but play Fallout New Vegas.

16. What song will always remind you of 2013?
Dead Man's Bones: "Dead Man's Bones."

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Truthfully, sadder. But I'll fix it.
b) thinner or fatter? Tiny bit smaller.
c) richer or poorer? Stayed the same.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
See friends (outside of a goddamn bar - because I hate bars), write, run, play music, draw, relax.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Be anxious...and less in pain than normal.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Four goddamn Christmases: two on Deagle's side, two on mine. I hate the holidays, and I really wish we could merge them into one.

21. Did you fall in love in 2013?
I fell in love a while ago--so I'm still there.

22. How many one-night stands?
I have one night-stand. Wait. One-night stands? Never in my life. That's just...weird.

23. What was your favorite TV program?
...Dexter. Man, I am addicted. And The Office.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I have never truly hated anyone. But I think some people certainly hate me now--probably some people on this website hate me, too.

25. What was the best book you read?
The second Harry Dresden book.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Dead Man's Bones, Juke Baritone, Janelle Monae, Postmodern Jukebox...

27. What did you want and get?
I wanted more peace and quiet--by moving out from Spi's, I got that. I also wanted to cook more--got that. Aaand I wanted to know what is was like to break someone's neck. Don't quite have that yet.

28. What did you want and not get?
A new kitten, a dog, a house, sleep, a lamp that projects stars...and a printer/scanner.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
I'm going to name films that I saw that may not necessarily have come out this year: Pacific Rim, A Monster In Paris, The Secret of Kells, The Hobbit, ParaNorman, and Snow White and the Huntsman.

30. What did you do on your birthday?
Ate sushi with friends. This year, I'm making the celebration a bit bigger, though.

31. What is one thing that would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Working out more. Sleeping more. Maybe getting rid of chronic pain entirely. Standing up for myself. And more tea.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?
Black pants and black shirts. Or game t-shirts. Hoodies. Fur-lined coat. Next year, I'm going to try and get into some gothic lolita, if I have the cash.

33. What kept you sane?
Solitude and me husband.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Juke Baritone. He actually emails me to chat. JUKE BARITONE. Now, if only Tom Waits would start writing me letters!

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Everything that claimed women ought to stay in the kitchen/be barefoot and preggers/stick to domestic shit. And the talks about bombing Iran and missiles from North Korea.

36. Who did you miss?
A lot of people. Old friends, furries, all those nutjobs. I'm pretty sure no one remembers me, though.

37. Who was the best new person you met?
Luna was pretty cool.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013:
GET SOME FUCKING SLEEP. Also...think twice when making your wedding guest list. Like, think a lot. REALLY reconsider it. I also learned that weddings, for the most part, are boring when planning them, because eeeeveryone and their mother says that everything has to be white this, white that, conservative this, respectful that. Thank god we did the exact opposite.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"I am gonna make it through this year if it kills me."

Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals.



....And a Happy New Year. =3





--MUR

I STILL can't figure out what kind of printer/scanner I want. For the scanner part, I need one that isn't going to give me shitty quality like my last one did. I just need the printer part to be able to print black and color ink, nothing fancy.

I looked through a bunch of them on cyber monday, but everything I found was still too expensive.

Anyone have any suggestions on non-expensive all-in-ones?

Or should I just break out the Wacom and fail terribly at digital drawings??



--MURPH--

http://www.tastefullyoffensive.com/.....mpilation.html

This video makes my stomach turn.

I know we all need to save a little money.

I know people with kids and big families have to shop during this time to make ends meet as far as presents go.

I understand that getting a 32 inch flat-screen for 50 bucks is "totally worth the trouble."

But Black Friday makes me sick. The exasperating advertising, the insistence that we must buy, buy, buy all this useless crap is disgusting. Now that I don't work in retail anymore, I can actively avoid leaving my house and think about anything other than shopping.

But I seriously feel for those forced to work on Black Friday. And I especially feel for those that have to work on Thanksgiving.

http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2013/11/08/gaming-then-now-comic/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+geeksAreSexyTechnologyNews+%28[Geeks+are+Sexy]+technology+news%29

Some of those things really do make me miss the old days. Well, at least Lydia still likes watching me play videogames, and Spi and I still do the one-person switch-off for certain one-player games.

I still can't figure out what type of printer/scanner/copier to get. I want an all-in-one-type of deal, but I want to make sure I get a decent one, because the last one crapped out on me.

Suggestions, maybe?

--MUR--

For anyone that knows me on Facebook, I will not be getting on there for a while. Too much social media lately, and I need to cut back. Perhaps this account will see more updates in that light.

I am hopefully getting a scanner/printer tomorrow, so I might have more incentive to draw and doodle again soon. I am in need of artistic criticism, methinks.

I want to take a moment and thank Paige from http://paigeonecomics.tumblr.com/ for doing a super cute picture of my husband [I can't get used to saying that word] and I for the wedding. Thanks a crapton, you made us look absolutely adorable. <3

In other news, I still want a dog, but I wouldn't to subject any size dog to this apartment. A house would be more appropriate.

In other other news, I might have to be on anti-depressants for the second time in my life. Anyone that knows me knows that I am terrified of drugs that alter your brain chemistry, so this is kind of a big, scarey thing for me. In light of recent events, high anxiety associated with chronic pain, and accidentally cutting off my brain's oxygen supply at work, I'm going to have to suck it up and talk to my doctor about it for the 5th time. *sigh* Deep breaths, and all that shit.

Does anyone have any relaxation techniques/ways to battle anxiety they can share with me? I would REALLY appreciate it.

--MURPH--

All the rain in the world fell in like two days.

I feel terrible for everyone that needs to be evacuated or has suffered in some way from the flooding--but in that same light, I was living in the basement of the old house for a LONG time, and while my room only flooded once, I was always vigilant about the rain after that. In that light, I'm grateful to live on the upper level.

In other news, while I've only lived in this place for a few months, I'm already planning out what our new home will be like in the future. Both the misters and I are dieing to live in a house on farmland with a dog one day, but, you know, everyone's gotta do that whole "save money, wait it out" thing first.

I'd kill for a house in the middle of nothing, with lots of room to grow vegetables and let future pets roam. Maybe a reading room. Where we can have bonfires, and big parties, and see a clear sky at night.

But in the meanwhile, it is nice to live close to work and all the other neat things in the Highlands.

Go ahead, ask me stuff, if ya want.

Not like I have anything better to do, being at home sick with whatever the hell this is.

Here's a starter: I'm at home, about to go lay on the loveseat and watch one of my old sick movies, like "Sister Act," "The Secret of NIHM," or "Short Circuit." Maybe a Fievel movie.

Real exciting life, huh. XD


--COUGHSNEEZE--